Summary
Pyopenssl Incorrect Memory Management
It was discovered that pyOpenSSL incorrectly handled memory when performing operations on a PKCS #12 store. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to cause pyOpenSSL to consume resources, resulting in a denial of service.
This attack appear to be exploitable via Depends upon calling application, however it could be as simple as initiating a TLS connection that would cause the calling application to reload certificates from a PKCS #12 store. This vulnerability appears to have been fixed in 17.5.0.
Impact
CVE-2018-1000808 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (17.5.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2018-1000808? CVE-2018-1000808 is a high-severity security vulnerability in pyopenssl (pip), affecting versions < 17.5.0. It is fixed in 17.5.0.
- How severe is CVE-2018-1000808? CVE-2018-1000808 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of pyopenssl are affected by CVE-2018-1000808? pyopenssl (pip) versions < 17.5.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2018-1000808? Yes. CVE-2018-1000808 is fixed in 17.5.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2018-1000808 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2018-1000808 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2018-1000808 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-1000808? Upgrade
pyopensslto 17.5.0 or later.